Research Position: New Project on Anti-Hatred Tweets The Dangerous Speech Project <http://www.voicesthatpoison.org> works to find and test pro-speech methods for diminishing harmful speech - or its effects. It is directed by Prof. Susan Benesch <http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/people/sbenesch> of American University and the Berkman <http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/luncheon/2014/03/benesch> Center. The successful candidate will work on a new two-year project to identify, collect, and analyze the effect of ‘counterspeech’ (speech rebutting hateful, hostile, or harmful Tweets), in collaboration with Prof. Derek Ruths <http://www.derekruths.com/> of McGill University, who directs the Network Dynamics Lab <http://networkdynamics.org/> there. The researcher will perform systematic content analysis to map hateful Tweets and responses to them, using both qualitative textual analysis and quantitative content and conversation analysis. Much of this work will be done in close collaboration with a computer science graduate student who will be responsible for the development of automated detection and filtering tools. The successful candidate will be comfortable working closely with computational researchers, and with large datasets collected from online social platforms. Familiarity with data analysis tools (e.g. Excel, R, Python) and some knowledge of statistics are welcome but not required. This position is ideal for junior scholars in Master's or PhD programs in Communication, Media Studies, Sociology, Anthropology, Information Studies, and related fields who want to develop and hone their research skills. Candidates must be comfortable establishing research direction, asking questions, managing time, and pursuing the work with limited supervision. Strong skills in writing, organization, and academic research are essential. There may be opportunities for co-authorship of papers in peer-reviewed journals and presentations of findings at relevant conferences. The researcher will be paid $15-25 hourly, depending on qualifications, with flexible hours and no residency requirement. It may require occasional travel for 2-4 days, to meetings with project staff and academic conferences, with expenses paid by the project, which is funded through 2016. To apply, please send an email to sbenesch@cyber.law.harvard.edu with the subject “RA Application” and include the following: – CV or resume – Writing sample (preferably a literature review or scholarly article) – Links to online presence (e.g., blog, homepage, Twitter etc.) – The names and email addresses of two employers or professors who we may contact as references – A cover letter that includes citizenship/legal residency status, number of hours available to work per week, current city of residence, available start date, current student status, and any other practical consideration that may be important for us to know We are committed to diversity in our team and strongly encourage people of color, of diverse gender identities, women, and LGBTQIA persons to apply.